Burglarproof door latch



Aug. 11 1925.

s'. c. CHURCH BURGLARPROOF DOC )R LATCH Filed Dec. 10, 1923 I INVENTOR. Smith C. 677M611? YQwgxmm ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

- UNITED STATES oFFtc 'E.

SMITH o. CHURCH, or BIO VISTA, CALIFORNIA.

BUiteLARPn'ooF noon LATCH.

Application filed December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,644.

i I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in auxiliary "door latching or locking devices for holding a door against opening independent of its" permanently mounted lock or latch. v i

The principal object of my invention is to provide a device of the above named general oharacterarranged to be removably applied to a door at any desired point in its height adjacent the opening edge thereof, and so constructed that the door cannot be even slightly opened from the outside without breaking the same, and the locking member of the device cannot be removed from the outside with any instrument or other means inserted under the door, be tween the same and its jamb, or from a transom above.

' Another object is to provide, a device for the above named purpose so constructed that it may be readily applied to any door regardless of whether the door is flush with its casing, or whether the latter project's outwardly of the door.

The device is therefore especially and admirablvadapted for the use of travelling men, who mustput up at hotels and rooming houses, the doors of which are very often provided with broken orinadequate look ing means, which can be very easily opened by anyone desiring to do so.

My device is not limited in its, utility however to the above purpose. but is adaptable forgeneral residence or other household use.

Being small and compact, the device may be easily carried in a garment pocket or in a grip, and it, has no parts to ge out of order, even with, long usage.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide' a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly efficient for thepurpose' ,for it is intended. The above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings, simila characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my improved attachment, as applied to a door and casing of common construction.

atent Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the key and amb-plate members respectively, of the device, detached.

Fig. 4 is a top plan fragmentary outline of a door and its jamb and casing, showing the manner in which the jamb or key plate of my device is preferably mounted or forced into place.

Referring now more particularly to the numerals of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a door of common oonstruction, adapted .to abut when closed against a stop member 2 fixed on the door jamb 3, with the door casing l projecting in this case outwardly of the door, in the direction of opening of the latter. As is customary, a certain amount of clearance obtains between the door and jamb.

My auxiliary door securing deviceconsists of two main units, detachable from, but cooperating with each other.

One of such units I term, the jamb plate. which consists of a rigid strip of metal 5, of a thinness adapting, it to be inserted in the space between the door and its jamb, and of suitable length. 7

On one end of this strip or platefis a rightangle bend 6 of short extent, terminating in a somewhat sharp edge as at 7, which edge is preferably serrated as at v8. v

Spaced and longitudinally disposed slots 9 are cut through the plate 5 at suitable lo cations in its length. 7

The other unit of my device I term the key, and it consists of a rigid metal plate member 10 of even thickness throughout and having an olfset head 11 on one side: and at one end thereof. From the inner termination of the head to the opposite end of the platethe edge of the lattenhas a converging taper relative to the opposite, edge, as at 12, said opposite edge being str'alght throughout.

The plate is of a thickness enabling the tapered portion to be easily] inserted in either slot 9, while the latterare of sucha length as to enable said tapered portion or the key plate to enter said slots for its full length if necessary.

Tapped holes 13, longitudinally spaced, are provided through the tapered member 10 at suitable intervals, to receive a thumb screw or pin 14, which may if desired be prevented from becoming mislaid from the plate by means of a chain 15 or other flexible member extending between said screw and plate.

Pivoted in common on one face of the head as at 16 but independently-movable, are superimposed auxiliary plates 17 having on one end right angle flanges 18 adapted to overlap each other and'to project beyond the outer longitudinal edge of the head 11.. The auxiliary members 17 when swivelled about their axis are arranged to clear said edge of the head entirely, the flanges 18 then clearing the adjacent end of the key plate.

In operation the member 5 is placed and held so as to project horizontally from the door-casing 4 and with its sharp edge 7 abutting againstthe jamb 8 as shown in Fig. 4. If the door is then closed, the edge 7 will be pressed into the jamb', and until the door is again opened, the member 5 can never be removed without splitting the jamb or causing the end 6 of said member to shear through the jamb.

This, while physically possible, is notlikely to be attempted by those whose aim, when breaking into any premises, is to avoid making any noise.

The jamb-platecanof course be secured in place by driving the end 6 into the wood with a hammer or other object, but inasmuch as persons while travelling do not carry such implements with them, I have shown and described how the plate may be easily secured in place without the aid of any implement.

When initially positioning the plate before securing the same, it is preferably held so that one of the slots 9 will lie just outwardly ofthe plane of the casing, such position being easily judged by eye.

The tapered portion of the key 10 is then inserted through said slot from the door side of the plate 5 and with the head 11 facing the door, until the key abuts against the casing and the head against the door, the taper of the key enabling a tight fit being easily had. The screw ll'is then turned into the hole 13 nearest the jamb plate on the casing side of the latter.

It will therefore be seen that the door is firmly held from being opened without wrecking the door or its framework, and neither can the key be dislodged by any person outside the room.

The flanges 18 serve to build up or extend the door-bearing edge of the head further from the adjacent and casing-bearing edge of the key, should the casing project a considerable distance outwardly of the door, or if the position of the slot is relatively far out.

Should the use of the flanges not be neces sary to insure a tight fit, they may be turned to lie beyond the end of the head, allowing the actual edge of the latter to bear against the door.

It will be noted that as the plate 5 is quite thin, the outer edge of the slot in which the key plate is inserted forms a fulcrum about which said plate may rock, and'the outer or back edge of the key is therefore not1neoes sarily atright anglestothejamb plate or to the face of the door. Also, as far as :preventing the opening of the door is concerned, it is not essential that the key. bear snugly against the door and casing, as said key cannot in any event be dislodged. However, a snug fit is preferable, since it prevents any rattling or give of the door whatsoever. V p

If the casing is flush with the door, the other slot 9 is used for the insertion of the key, or the latter may be reversed inposition so that the head 11 faces away from the door and the straight face or edge of the key abuts against both door and casing.

When desired to remove the plate 5, the same is easily pried loose with onehand after the door is opened.

From the foregoing descriptiom'it will be evident that I have produced a: device which well fulfills the objects of the invention, as stated hereinbefore.

While this specification sets forth the present and preferred construction of my device. still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Havingdescribed my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An auxiliary door-latch comprising a jamb plate adapted to project from between a door and its jamb and to be removably secured to the latter, a keyplate adapted to be removably mounted on the jamb plate and to extend on both sides of the same to project partially across the door andits casing, and flange means movably mounted on the key plate adjacent one end thereof and adapted to project beyond the inner ject partially across the door and its casing,

a plurality of vertical flanges mounted on the key plate adjacent one end thereof and adapted to overlap each other and the inner edge of the plate at that end, and means for enabling said flanges to be moved away from said edge independently of each other.

3. An auxiliary door-latch comprising a jamb plate adapted to project from between a door and its jamb and to be removably secured to the latter, a key-plate adapted to be removably mounted on the jamb plate &

and to extend on both sides of the same to project partially across the door and its casing, a plurality of auxiliary plates pivoted in common on the key plate adjacent one end thereof and turnable independently of each other, and fiai'iges on said plates and adapted to overlap each other and the adjacent inner edge of the key plate, and to be moved at Will to clear said edge.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SMITH C. CHURCH. 

